Combination switch and record selector



June 23, 1942. E. G. HENRY COMBINATION SWITCH ANDBECORD SELECTOR Filed April 19, 1941 Patented June 23, 1942 COMBINATION SWITCH AND RECORD SELECTOR Earle G. Henry, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Buckley Music System, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Application April 19, 1941, Serial No. 389,345

8 Claims.

In my prior application, Serial No. 292,097, filed August 26, 1939, which became Patent No. 2,255,- 216 on September 9, 1941, there is disclosed a multiple electromagnetically operated switch and record selector for automatic musical instruments, and the present invention has for its object to improve and simplify that device.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the device; Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale on line 33 of Fig. 2, showing only a fragment of the device; and Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3. Y

Referring to the drawing, I and 2 represent parallel thick rings of insulating material held in spaced relation to each other by the stationary members of solenoids; screw rods 3-serving to draw the rings together so as firmly to clamp the solenoids between the @same. The stationary solenoid elements comprise sturdy coil members 4, each not more than one-half as long. as the distance between the rings I and 2. This permits these elements to be arranged in two groups distributed around the axis of the unit and one group being in contact with the ring I whilethe other is in contactwith the ring 2; thereby permitting the use of short coils .of large diameter and greatly reducing the voltage and the amount of current required to energize them, belowthat necessary to energize coils long enough to span the distance between the two rings and small enough in diameter to permit them to'be placed with their axes at the same radial distance from the axis of the device. Coaxial with each of the solenoid coils is a stiff tube 5 that spans the gap between that coil and the ring from which the coil is spaced apart. Y

The plunger or core member 6 of each solenoid extends through the coil and through the corresponding tube 5, and well beyond the rings I and 2, at each end of the device. These-core members serve as the movable elements of switch devices and also as actuators for selection controlling elements in a machine or as stops for such selection controlling elements. It is one of the objects of this invention to produce simple and novel core or plunger membe s h t Q 11, be

made easily and at low cost and which shall be effective to carry out all of the functions of these elements for an indefinite time. To this end, each core member comprises a rod 1 of magnetic material, such as iron or steel, much longer than the corresponding coil and the tubular spacer associated with that coil. In other words, this rod is of such length that when the lower end, as it appears in Fig. 3, is close to the inner fiat face of the ring I, the other end of the rod extends through and far above the ring 2. The end which is at the top in Figs. 2 and 3 is reduced in diameter to form a stem 8 at the base of which the body portion of the rod forms an annular shoulder 9 that lies in about the plane of the upper fiat face of the ring 2 when the rod is down, as in Fig. 3. The end of the core or plunger that serves as a stop or actuator is the one that projects below the ring I, as viewed in Fig. 3, and this part must be composed of nonmagnetic material. Consequently, there is drilled short, thick sleeve ducting material that urrounds the sleeve I5 and rests on the short sleeve I4. A second short thick sleeve I'I surrounds the stem above the metal sleeve IS. The parts I4, I6 and H are clamped together and against the shoulder 9 on the rod by suitable means on the upper free end of the stem, conveniently by riveting the free end of the stem over, as indicated at I8.

The upper part of the plunger, throughout the lengthof the stem portion 8 is larger in diameter than the body of the rod 1, so that the plunger may drop down and have its movement arrested through the engagement of the insulating ring I4 with the upper flat face of the ring 2.

Above the ring 2, as it appears in Fig. 3, are four additional rings I9, 20, 2| and 22, arranged one above the other and in spaced relation to each other and the ring 2. Of these rings, those indicated at I9 and 20 are of metal, the ring 2| is of insulating material, and the ring 22 is composed of any suitable material, preferably metal, as it serves simply as a stop to limit the upward movement of the several plungers as they appear gether and to the ring 2 in any suitable way such that the rings I9, 20 and 22 are insulated from each other. The disposition of the rings [9 to 22 is such that when the plunger is down, the metal sleeve extends through both of the rings l9 and 2|] and, if desired, into the ring 2|, but not through the latter. Thus, the exposed parts of the plunger between the rings l9 and 20 and between the rings 20 and 2| is the metal of the long sleeve, while the periphery of the part exposed above the ring 2| is composed of insulating material.

Associated with each of the plungers are three resilient contact pieces 24, 25 and 26 which overlie, respectively, the rings I9, 20 and 2|. These contact pieces are shown as taking the form of spring wires each anchored at one end and pressing against the periphery of the plunger with a tendency to swing toward the axis of the plunger in a plane at right angles to that axis. When the plunger is down, as shown in Fig. 3, the contact springs 24 and 25 both engage the long metal sleeve IS. The holes 21 in the rings I9, 20 and 2|, through which the plunger passes, are large enough to prevent contact between the periphery of the plunger and the material of the ring surrounding these holes. Therefore, there is no electrically-conductive connection between the plates l9 and 20 except when the springs 24 and 25 both engage with the metal sleeve 16, as shown in Fig. 3. At this time the contact finger or spring 26 engages with the periphery of the short insulating sleev l1. When the plunger is moved up until it strikes the ring 22, it travels far enough to raise the lower end of the sleeve l6 above the normal position of the spring 24 and cause this spring to engage with the periphery of the insulating sleeve l4. At the same time, the upper end of the metal sleeve i6 is raised high enough to permit it to be engaged by the spring 26. In the first of these two positions of the plunger, the rings l9 and 20 are placed in electrically conductive connection with each other. In the second position the electrically conductive connection between the rings l9 and '2!) is interrupted and an electrically conductive path is prepared between the contact fingers 25 and 26 through the sleeve it. By

this means the same circuits are made and broken as by the device in my aforesaid application.

The spring contact pieces have an added function of yieldingly holding their plungers at either limit of their lengthwise movements. This result is attained by placing the spring wires under an initial tension. It is also highly desirable that the plungers do not bounce back after being brought into the position of the plunger as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, namely the working position of the stop or actuator I2. I have therefore a provided the sleeve IS with two peripheral grooves 28 and 29 into which the springs 24 and 2-5, respectively, drop when the plunger is down. While one of the shoulders bounding each of these grooves may be square, the other 30, which engages the corresponding spring contact piece when the plunger is moved up, is preferably made frusto-conical to avoid danger of locking the contact piece and the plunger so effectively that the spring cannot release itself. In order to make-certain that each of the contact pieces 24 and 25 will become free of its groove when .the plunger is raised, without stressing the contact pieces too severely, 'I prefer .to provide the free end of each contact piece 24 and 25 with an upturned end 3| which, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, strikes against the overlying stationary ring by the time that the plunger is about halfway up and thus prevents the free ends of the contact pieces from being pulled up any farther.

The contact pieces are peculiar in other ways than those heretofore mentioned. The end that is anchored has a short down-turned part 32 which eXtends loosely into a hole 34 in the plate is, 20 or 2|, as the case may be; these holes being considerably larger in diameter than the di ameter of the wire of which the contact pieces are made. Each of the plates I9, 20 and 2| is provided with a series of rivets 35, each lying beside one of the spring wires close to the anchored end. The parts are so proportioned that a slight bend must be produced in each wire to carry it past the corresponding rivet and over to the plunger with which the wire is associated. Each rivet has an enlargement or head 36 that overlies the wire and prevents it from jumping up. As soon as the wire is stressed a little, the bent end 32 tilts in the hole 34, as shown in Fig. l, producing a tendency in this bent end to rise. which thus serves as a fulcrum about which the wire may swing slightly to force its free end against the underlying ring. This insures that the free end of each spring will normally be pressed against the underlying ring and be accurately disposed to engage with its cooperating groove in the plunger.

One of the advantages possessed by my improved spring fingers is that no pigtails or the like are required, the conductors 31, each leading from one terminal of the corresponding solenoid coil, being soldered directly to the stationary rivets 35 carried by the ring 2 I. Thus, the danger of a break eventually occurring in one or more of these conductors when connected to a swinging contact finger, due to swinging back and forth, is entirely avoided. Furthermore, the faults resulting from the soldering of conductors to movable contact fingers are eliminated as is also the drag that a flexible conductor connected at one end to a swinging finger exerts on the latter. The wires 38 and 39 that lead away from the device may each be soldered to one of the rivets on the rings l9 and 20, respectively.

Because the contact fingers are simply pieces of spring wire having their ends bent laterally, they are inexpensive and can be produced uniformly in large quantities. The plunger elements of the solenoids, also, are simple in construction, as well as sturdy and durable; only the rivetting over of the end of the little stem on the iron core element being needed to secure all of the parts of the upper section together; and a part on the lower element l2 being simply driven into a hole in the lower end of the iron core element to unite the two sections.

Reference has heretofore been made to the tendency of the plungers to bounce back after being driven to one limit of their movements upon the energization of the coils cooperating with them. This tendency is sometimes very strong. The principal use to which the devices of this and of my aforesaid application are put is selectively to control the playing of phonograph records from remote points; the device just This tendency is opposed by the rivet head drop in the voltage of the current by the time it reaches the coils. Therefore, the device must be made to operate satisfactorily on the weak current resulting from this low voltage. However, when the control box is near and the current does not need to travel far between the same and the solenoid coils, the current passing through the coils is much stronger and the plungers are driven with great force when the coils are energized. This causes a rebound of plungers which is checked by the spring fingers that are int-erlocked therewith at the time; and before the rebound becomes too great, the spring fingers arrest the backward movement of the plungers and push the plungers back in place.

It should be noted that while I have described the device as though the plungers were vertical, this description was intended simply to be in relation to the drawing which shows the plungers in vertical position. The device may, of course, be placed with its axis vertical, horizontal, or at anyangle to either, depending on the type of installation required.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a switch device, a plunger reciprocable in the lengthwise direction and having a switch contact, a stationary support beside the plunger in the region of said contact, a contact finger in the form of a spring wire overlying said support and extending transversely of the plunger with one end engaging the latter, said support having at the other end of said wire a hole substantially larger in diameter than the wire, the adjacent end of the wire being bent laterally and extending into said hole, and a projection on said support engaged with the side of the wire opposite that on which the plunger is located and having a part overhanging the wire, said projection being located nearer to the said hole than to the plunger and in position to compel the wire to take a bow shape.

2. In a switch device, a plunger reciprocable in the lengthwise direction and having a switch contact, a stationary support beside the plunger in the region of said contact, a contact finger in the form of a spring wire overlying said support and extending transversely of the plunger with one end engaging the latter, said support having at the other end of said wire a hole substantially larger in diameter than the wire, the adjacent end of the wire being bent laterally and extending into said hole, and a projection on said support engaged with the side of the wire opposite that on which the plunger is located and having a part overhanging the wire, said projection being located nearer to the said hole than to the plunger and in position to compel the wire to take a bow shape, said projection constituting a terminal for connecting said contact finger to a conductor constituting part of a circuit to be controlled.

3. In a switch device, a lengthwise movable plunger having a long peripheral layer of conductive material at each end of which is located a layer of insulating material, three spring contact fingers cooperating with said layers to cause said layer of conductive material to connect one of said fingers to either of the others depending upon the position of the plunger, and said layer of conductive material containing a transverse groove in which one of said fingers seats itself when the plunger is in the position into which it is brought upon the energization of the coil and thereby yieldingly holds the plunger in the latter position.

4. In a switch device, a lengthwise reciprocable plunger, stops to limit the lengthwise movements of the plunger, two stationary elements lying beside the plunger and spaced apart lengthwise of the plunger, a switch contact carried by the plunger in the vicinity of said stationary elements, said contact having therein a transverse peripheral groove, a contact finger in the form of a spring wire anchored at one end to the stationary element and pressing at its other end against the side of the plunger, the parts being so proportioned that the spring wire snaps into said groove when the plunger is at one limit of its movement, and the free end of the wire having a part much shorter than the distance through which the plunger can move extending in the direction of the other stationary element, whereby the said part strikes the latter stationary element before the plunger finishes a return movement and forces the wire out of the groove before the wire is too greatly stressed.

5. In a switch device, a plunger comprising an iron rod mounted for limited lengthwise movements, one end of the plunger including a stem element of reduced diameter, a short, thick sleeve of insulating material surrounding the base end of the stem, a long sleeve of conducting material surrounding and insulated from the stem and engaged at one end with said short sleeve, a second short, thick sleeve surrounding the stem beyond and in engagement with the other end of the long sleeve, means on the stem beyond said sleeves to hold them from slipping off the stem, and yielding contact fingers engaged with the periphery of said sleeves.

6. In a switch device, a plunger having a peripheral face of conducting material containing a transverse groove, and a stationary spring finger in position to snap into said groove when the plunger occupies a predetermined position; said spring finger being yieldable in a plane at right angles to the axis of the plunger and also in a plane parallel to said axis, whereby the finger serves yieldingly to hold the plunger in the last-mentioned position and as a spring to return the plunger to that position in the event that it bounces back after having been brought there.

7. In a switch device, a plunger having a peripheral face of conducting material containing a transverse groove, a stationary spring finger in position to snap into said groove when the plunger occupies a predetermined position, said finger being yieldable in a plane at right angles to the axis of said plunger and also in a plane paralleling said axis, and a stationary member in position to engage with the free end of said finger and prevent it from yielding farther in said plane paralleling the axis of the plunger during and before the completion of the return movement of the plunger from the aforesaid position.

8. In a switch device, a lengthwise movable plunger, one end of the plunger having a long peripheral layer of conductive material at each end of which is located a layer of insulating material, a plurality of spring contact fingers cooperating with said layers to cause said layer of conductive material to make and interrupt an electrically conductive connection between said fingers depending upon the position of the plunger, and said layer of conductive material containing a transverse groove in which one of said fingers seats itself when the plunger is in a predetermined position, the latter finger being yieldable in a plane at right angles to the axis of the plunger and in a plane parallel to said axis, whereby it serves yieldingly to lock the plunger in its aforesaid position and also as a spring to return the plunger to that position when the plunger rebounds under the influence of any considerable blow that it strikes upon reaching the aforesaid position.

EARLE G. HENRY. 

